Thank You For Being a Friend
by CinderellaAtTheBall
Summary: Drabbles about friendship. 1. Angelina needs a hug - 2. Minerva has to supervise detention on her birthday - 3. Hannah teaches Neville how to swim - 4. Lily brings Remus chocolate - 5. Sirius and James have a moment to themselves right before James's wedding - 6. Parvati visits Lavender's grave - 7. Ernie needs a best man
1. Taking Back Control

_Requested by the lovely Amber (prompts: Katie/Angelina, "A hug isn't always the right answer, you know"). Enjoy!_

_Note: this takes place the morning after Fred, George, and Harry were banned from Quidditch._

* * *

**Taking Back Control**

"Hey, Angie," Katie said softly, walking into the older girl's dorm. "You alright? Leesh says you're refusing to come to breakfast."

Angelina looked up at her, eyes red, and Katie almost took a step back. She had never seen her tough-as-nails teammate cry before, not when they had won the House Cup two years prior, nor even when she had been knocked off her broom by a Bludger and broken her arm in two places.

"How can I be alright when half my team is gone?" the other girl asked sullenly.

"Three-sevenths, actually," Katie said. "Not quite half."

Angelina glared at her. "You know what I meant."

"I did," she said lightly, sitting on the edge of the bed, "but you are in desperate need of some perspective, my friend."

"This _sucks_, Katie." Angelina quickly wiped her eyes before resuming her study of her four poster's scarlet sheets. "What more perspective do I need?"

Katie thought of something her parents used to say when things went wrong. "Well, it could always be worse." She patted Angelina's arm reassuringly.

"I can't even imagine how," Angelina grumbled, scooting away. Katie looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out another tactic to cheer her up.

"Look, I know this whole thing with Umbridge is...horrible," she said at last, tucking a stray braid behind Angelina's ear, "but we mustn't let it get us down. We'll get through this together, just like always."

Angelina drew her knees up to her chest, her face miserable. "I don't know, Katie. This feels different somehow." She drew in a shaky breath. "Maybe this is just how things are now that _she's_ around. Maybe this is our new normal."

"God, Angie, do you even hear yourself? Lighten up a little, geez." Katie shoved Angelina's shoulder playfully, but the older girl refused to smile. "You know what you need?"

Angelina rolled her eyes. "If you say 'firewhiskey shots' or some other form of alcohol, I _will _hurt you."

"I was going to say 'a hug,' but now that you mention it…"

Angelina flung herself backwards so that she was staring up at the ceiling. "I don't need a _hug_, Katie. Or alcohol of any kind."

"Fine, no alcohol," Katie agreed, "but a hug would do wonders for you. When was the last time you had a proper hug, Angie?" She ducked as Angelina threw a pillow at her. "I'm going to guess it was a very long time ago based on that response. Come on, let's hug it out. You'll feel better."

"No, I won't. A hug isn't always the right answer, you know," Angelina sighed.

Katie bit her lip. "I know, but I'm out of ideas here, and I could really use one myself, so…"

To her relief, Angelina let out a small giggle. "God, Katie, if you wanted a hug you could have just asked."

"I was a little busy trying to turn that frown upside down!" she pouted.

Her friend sat up and held out her arms. "Here. One Angelina hug, free of charge. You're welcome."

"Thanks, but you'd never charge me," Katie teased, wrapping her arms around the other girl contentedly. Angelina's hugs were her favorite because she fit under the taller girl's chin nicely. Alicia's hugs were good, too, but she and Katie were too similar in height to achieve that same fit. "I'm your best friend."

Angelina smiled down at her. "I think you're tied with Leesh for that honor."

"Fair enough." Katie grinned back before adding, "You look like you're feeling better."

"I am. I'm not going to let Umbridge bring us down. She's ruined enough for us already. It'll be a massive pain in the arse, but we'll just have to hold tryouts again and see what new talent we've been missing out on," Angelina said, already sounding far happier than when Katie had first walked in. She paused. "You know, I think hugs may be their own form of magic."

Katie couldn't agree more.

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Word count: 666


	2. Minerva's Birthday

_Written for Minerva McGonagall's birthday. :)_

_Also written for the Back to School Challenge at The Golden Snitch Forum (Beauxbatons, Guinefort) - 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration': write from Professor McGonagall's POV._

**MC4A**

**Challenge: **In a Flash (Y); Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Ravenclaw MC; Old Shoes (N); Birthday Surprises (N); Black Ribbon (N); Black Ribbon Redux (N)

**Fall Bingo: **B3 (gathering)

**Word count: **797

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**Minerva's Birthday**

Minerva opened the wardrobe in the staffroom with a sigh. It was her birthday, but instead of going back to her chambers and curling up with a glass of wine and a good book, she had to supervise detention.

"Minerva!" Pomona burst into the room. The plump witch was out of breath, and Minerva wondered if she had run all the way from the greenhouses looking for her. "Thank goodness I found you. It's your birthday, isn't it?"

Minerva nodded curtly. She didn't particularly like the fact that her private life was mixing with her work life. While Pomona was an old friend and therefore entitled to such personal details, if Pomona knew, that meant that _everyone_ knew. The head of Hufflepuff was a notorious chatterbox.

"Well, happy birthday!" Pomona hugged her tightly, nearing squeezing all the air out of her lungs.

"Goodness, Pomona, I'm merely one year older. It is no great accomplishment, and there is no need for such... demonstrations," Minerva said, peeling herself away from her friend.

"Oh, rubbish!" Pomona chuckled. "It's your birthday, and we are going to celebrate!"

"Can't," Minerva said heavily. "I've got to supervise a detention of sixth years who were caught smuggling firewhiskey into Gryffindor tower. Can you imagine? Back in my day—"

"Now, now, Minerva, surely children behaved much the same way back in your day," Pomona chided, her eyes sparkling.

Minerva was quite certain that this was not the case, but decided not to argue. Instead, she grabbed her spare cloak from the wardrobe and attempted to leave the room. Unfortunately, another colleague chose that exact moment to appear.

"Minerva!" Filius squeaked, blocking her way with a spellbook raised above his head. "Pomona tells me that it's your birthday!"

Minerva shot Pomona an exasperated look before turning back to the tiny wizard. "That's correct, Filius. Now, if you don't mind, I must get to detention."

Filius looked crestfallen. "A detention, on your birthday?"

"Tell that to the imbeciles who decided to break the rules," Minerva muttered. Louder, she said, "I wish it weren't so, but it is, and so I must be off."

She wasn't terribly sorry to be leaving the two — in fact, detention seemed a welcome respite. At least there was no chance that the sixth year students would know it was her birthday.

The hallways and corridors were quiet as Minerva made her way to her office, where the sixth years had been instructed to wait for her. The light appeared to be off, however, and her door was closed.

Minerva frowned and pushed open the door. All of the sudden, the lamps flickered on, and a group of people yelled, "Surprise!"

"Good heavens!" she gasped, taking in the people and the red and gold streamers "What is the meaning of this?" Her eyes fell on Pomona, who was grinning broadly — clear proof that she had been involved somehow, as far as Minerva was concerned. "Was this your doing, Pomona?"

"Don't be silly, it wasn't _entirely_ my doing," the other witch giggled.

"Yes, I do believe that I helped a good deal!" Filius said indignantly, appearing at Minerva's side with a honey-dipped apple.

Minerva shook her head and looked around at the guests. Albus was there, of course, as was Rolanda, and Hagrid. Even Severus was in attendance, much to her surprise. She would have thought he would find such a gathering beneath him.

The reason for the potion master's appearance became clear shortly thereafter, as Pomona explained that it was he who had brewed the perfect Polyjuice Potion for her little plan. Upon drinking said elixir, she, Filius, and Rolanda had assumed the appearance of three sixth year students and proceeded to get "caught" with firewhiskey in their possession.

"You were in on this too, Severus?" Minerva asked, shaking her head. "I must say, expected better of you."

"I assure you, Minerva, I did not participate willingly." The Slytherin head scowled at Pomona, who did not seem fazed.

"Yes, I may have found a rather underhanded way to ensure his cooperation, but I do believe it was worth it!" she said happily. In a whisper that only Minerva could hear, she added, "I threatened to fail half of the Slytherin Quidditch team!"

"How clever of you, Pomona," Minerva said dryly. "Really, I don't know how you find the time to dream up and carry out such childish antics."

Pomona ignored the dig and passed her a glass of champagne. "Drink up," she said with a wink. "It's your birthday, after all."

"Cheers!" Filius cried. Around them, others joined in with variations of "Happy birthday!" and "Cheers!"

Minerva lifted her glass, a small smile gracing her lips. As far as birthdays went, it could have been much worse. "Happy birthday to me."


	3. Swimming Lessons

_Written for Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments - Term 11, Assignment 6: __**Religious Education, Task #2: write a fic set in/on/near water.**_

_Also written for Care of Magical Creatures Class at The Golden Snitch Forum (Beauxbatons, Guinefort) - 15. Acromantula: write about someone overcoming their fears._

**MC4A**

**Challenge: **In a Flash (N); Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Summer Vacation (Y); Old Shoes; Black Ribbon; Black Ribbon Redux

**Fall Bingo: **D2 (water)

**Word count: **702

_Thanks to Elizabeth (MoonytheMaurader1) for betaing!_

* * *

**Swimming Lessons**

Neville looked at the pool with great trepidation.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hannah?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't notice the quiver in his voice.

Hannah graced him with a warm smile that would have reassured him even if her next words hadn't. "Don't worry, Neville. I'm here if anything happens."

Neville took a deep breath and tried not to think of all the ways this could go wrong. His gran hadn't wanted him to learn to swim, too concerned that he would drown. To be frank, Neville was worried about that, too. What if he got a cramp and couldn't keep his head above water, or something?

His head began to swarm with more intrusive thoughts, and he began to feel very dizzy. Maybe he could feign illness and postpone this lesson to another day. Surely Hannah would understand. He opened his mouth to tell her that he wasn't feeling well, but no sound came out.

Hannah tilted her head, her brown eyes troubled. "Are you alright, love?"

Neville focused on making his words audible. "I—I think I need to go home. I might be ill."

"Are you having second thoughts about this?" Hannah probed. "I wouldn't blame you if you were."

Neville nodded weakly. Something about Hannah's kind nature made him want to be honest with her, even if he was embarrassed to admit that he was scared.

"What are you so afraid of, Neville?" she asked gently.

"Drowning," he said immediately. "And—and not being good."

To Hannah's credit, she didn't laugh at this. Instead, she asked a simple question that left Neville reeling. "Don't you trust yourself?"

Did he trust himself? He wasn't sure how to answer that. The first answer that popped into his head was a resounding "no," but once he thought about it a little more, he didn't see why he shouldn't. After all, he had proved himself more capable than he ever would have thought on more than one occasion.

"I suppose so," he said carefully. "I'll...try to, anyway. Nothing to lose, right?"

Nothing except his life, or at the very least, his dignity.

Hannah clapped her hands. "Excellent!"

She made her way to the stairs at the corner of the pool. Neville followed, still feeling a bit uneasy, but armed with a sense of determination nonetheless. Once they both reached the railing, Hannah took one side and Neville took the other. Slowly, Neville eased himself into the water, which was a pleasant temperature.

Hannah was already fully immersed in the water by the time he let go of the railing. In all of his nervousness, he had forgotten that the water at this end was shallow enough for him to touch the floor without his head going under. So far, so good.

Hannah smiled at him while bobbing up and down. "What do you think?"

"It feels...soothing," he said truthfully, trying not to stare at the way the water glistened on her skin and rolled beneath her simple black swimsuit as she bounced.

"It is relaxing, isn't it?" Hannah nodded. She gestured to the side of the pool. "Let's try holding onto the edge and kicking our legs."

She walked him through a few more exercises after that, teaching him how to move his arms so that he could propel himself through the water, and how to turn his head so that he would be able to draw breath as he swam. It wasn't nearly as difficult as Neville had feared, and he was almost disappointed when Hannah announced that they would try putting the different components together at the next lesson.

"You mean I can't properly learn to swim today?" he asked.

Hannah shook her head. "I think it would be good for you to practice what I showed you, just to be sure you've got the basics down before you conquer the deep end."

"You seem pretty sure that I'll conquer it," he noted.

"That's because I _am_ pretty sure," she replied, looking at him with an emotion that Neville wasn't used to seeing — pride. She was _proud_ of him, and that only strengthened his resolve. He would do whatever it took to rule the pool.


	4. In Times of Need

**In Times of Need**

"I brought you some chocolate, Remus," Lily announced, handing him an enormous bar of Honeydukes chocolate.

Remus rubbed his eyes tiredly. "You shouldn't have, Lily."

"Well, I did, and I'm not leaving until you eat some," Lily said. Her voice was teasing, but her expression was perfectly serious.

Remus looked at the chocolate, then back at his stubborn friend before sighing in defeat. "Fine. I'll nibble on a little bit."

Lily patted his arm. "You always say it makes you feel better."

"I do," he agreed, unwrapping the foil and taking a small bite. The flavour wasn't overly sweet, but his insides were immediately flooded with a pleasant warmth. "Where's James today?"

"On some Order mission, he wouldn't give any details," Lily said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm sure it isn't anything _too_ risky, though. You know James. He just likes to feel important."

Remus grinned, in part due to the chocolate, but mostly due to Lily's assessment of James. "Yeah, that sounds like James."

Lily threw back her head and laughed, her auburn hair glinting in the sunlight. Remus cherished the sound — these moments of levity were few and far between. With Voldemort growing stronger every day, everyone's nerves were on edge, and the reality of war was beginning to visit more and more people. It seemed that every other week, more horrific news reached him — someone's family had been killed, a friend had been attacked — and he just wanted to pretend, at least for a little while, that everything was okay.

"The chocolate's good," he said after a moment. "Thanks for bringing me some."

"Of course." She lowered her voice. "I know how you get after the full moon."

"Yeah." Remus stared down at the candy in his hand. He suddenly didn't want to eat it anymore, his stomach twisting at the reminder of the phases of the moon. "Do you...do you want some?"

He broke off the part he had eaten and offered the rest to her. "Oh, no, I'm all right," she said quickly.

"Nonsense," he said, all but pressing it into her hand, "I insist."

She looked quizzically at him, but took the proffered chocolate and slowly bit off a piece. "Oh, wow, that _is_ good," she said, a serene smile playing at her lips.

"You can finish it," he said.

"I couldn't possibly—"

"Please, Lily. You've done so much for me already. Just...shut up and enjoy the chocolate," he joked weakly.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you told me to shut up because this chocolate is too damn good," Lily said, smiling.

She polished off the rest of the bar as they discussed the Order's tactics, swapped bits of news, and wondered what James could be up to. All too soon, however, it was time for her to go.

"Goodbye, Remus. I'll stop by again soon," she whispered, her arms wrapped around his lanky form.

He tried to smile, but worry for her safety prevented him from doing so. "Be safe out there, Lily."

Her green eyes were sad as she replied, "You too, Remus."

With one final swish of red hair, she was gone, and Remus hoped that it wouldn't be the last time he saw her.

* * *

Word count: 543


	5. Before the Wedding

**MC4A**

**Fall Bingo: **E3 (change)

**Word count: **323

* * *

**Before the Wedding**

"So... you're really sure about this, mate?" Sirius asked.

James looked over at him and smiled. "Yeah, I am. It feels like...it feels like I've waited my whole life to marry her, you know?"

Sirius had never seen his best friend look so happy, and James's joy was so infectious that he couldn't help but smile, too. Still, he wasn't one to be sentimental. "God, you sound like a total sap."

"I know, Pads, but love changes you," James said seriously, struggling to knot his navy blue tie. "I would do anything for her. _Anything_. Remember when I used to be so self-centered?" Sirius laughed and clapped him on the back.

"Still are, mate." James glared at him, and he put his hands up. "Kidding. You really are a changed man, James. I'm proud of you."

James made one last attempt at his tie before letting out a sigh of frustration. "This bloody tie!"

Sirius held out his hand. James handed it over, and Sirius made a show of knotting it and smoothing it down. "Never could tie your own ties," he murmured with a shake of his head.

"Hey, some of us didn't have lessons on that sort of thing every week," James teased.

"Count yourself lucky, Prongs," Sirius said darkly. "Those 'lessons' were bloody awful." James gave him a look that was so full of sympathy that he wished he hadn't said anything. "Anyway," he added quickly, "at least now Lily will have to deal with your incompetence. I think she'll handle it just fine, though."

James took a deep breath. "How do I look?"

Sirius studied him for a moment. Gone was the cocky, lovesick boy from Hogwarts. In his place was a more mature (but still lovesick, Sirius thought) man. James was right — love really _had_ changed him, and Sirius was proud to call him his best friend.

"You look fantastic, Prongs. Now, let's get you married."


	6. You Should Be Here (I Miss You)

_Note: this fic revolves around the canon death of a character._

**MC4A**

**Fall Bingo: **E4 (death)

**Word count: **521

* * *

**You Should Be Here (I Miss You)**

Parvati stared down at the grave in front of her, vision blurring even as she tried her hardest not to cry. She didn't like being back here, confronted with the painful reality of what the war had stolen from her. Anywhere else, she could pretend that her best friend was still alive, but not here.

All of the people who had died fighting Voldemort — the "fallen heroes," they were called, though Parvati thought they ought simply to be called "heroes" without emphasizing the fact that they were dead — had been buried in the same cemetery. There had been some opposition from a few families at first, but they gradually warmed to the idea that more people could visit and remember their loved ones if everyone was interred in one place.

With a trembling hand, Parvati reached out and traced the letters on the gravestone: _Lavender Brown, 1980-1998._ She had been so young, so ready to take on the world. Parvati recalled her friend talking about becoming a Healer, and she smiled shakily. Lavender would have been good at that, if only she had been given the chance.

The funeral had been a somber affair. Lavender would have hated it. She wouldn't have wanted everyone to show up in the customary black garb and mourn her quietly. She would have wanted bright colors and singing and dancing — _revelry. _In life, she had always found something to giggle about. In death, she had been reduced to a few serious words, and Parvati didn't feel like those words captured Lavender's essence at all.

It began to rain, and Parvati was glad because it hid the tears that had begun coursing down her cheeks, hot and fast. She missed Lavender, there was no denying it. She missed the girl who had taught her how to French braid her hair and stayed up late to gossip about boys. She missed the girl who had been like a sister to her when her own sister was a tower away. But most of all, she missed the woman that girl could have become. She had always pictured Lavender at her side when she married — now, that honor would go to someone else.

Disregarding the damp ground, Parvati sank to her knees and wept for the relationship she had lost and feared that she would never find again. She sobbed until her eyes were dry and her throat was raw. Only then did she struggle to her feet and survey the cemetery. Several large trees, their leaves now amber and crimson with the changing of seasons, provided shade and privacy to the neat rows of headstones. Parvati appreciated them for a moment before turning back to Lavender's grave. With a quick flick of her wand, a bouquet of pink carnations appeared.

"I will never forget you, Lavender," Parvati whispered, laying the flowers gently on the ground. She hesitated. "Wherever you are, I hope you're happy."

With one final nod, she stepped away and Disapparated back to her flat, where she let exhaustion from her afternoon in the cemetery overtake her.

That night, she dreamed of Lavender.


	7. From Best Mate to Best Man

_Written for Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments - Term 11, Assignment 9: __**Arts & Crafts, Task #2: write about a brotherly relationship (can be actual brothers or just friends).**_

_Word count: 453_

* * *

**From Best Mate to Best Man**

Ernie took a sip of wine and fixed his gaze on the man across from him. "I confess, I didn't invite you to lunch just to catch up, Justin."

Justine grinned and took a sip of wine himself. "Yeah, I figured as much."

Ernie almost dropped his wine glass. "How did you—"

"Because I _know _you, Ern," Justin said, shaking his head. "You've been oddly quiet the whole meal. You didn't even want to brag about your promotion to Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic!"

Ernie dragged a hand through his sandy-colored hair and chuckled weakly. Of course Justin had noticed his nervousness — the two had been best friends for more than half their lives. "I...I suppose I had other things on my mind."

"Such as?" Justin pressed. He chewed his last piece of chicken while staring expectantly at Ernie.

"I intend to ask Susan to marry me," Ernie explained. At this, Justin nearly leapt out of his chair, jostling the burgundy tablecloth in the process. Ernie had never seen him look so excited.

"What? That's amazing news, mate!" After a moment, he added cheekily, "It's about time, too, I'd say."

"It is," Ernie said, finally allowing himself to smile. He and Susan had been dating for five years, so he couldn't blame Justin for insinuating that they should have been engaged already. "I have no doubt that she'll say yes—"

"Nor do I," Justin interrupted with a smirk.

"—which leaves the small matter of finding a best man for the wedding." Ernie paused and shot Justin a significant look. His friend's mouth fell open.

"You don't mean—you don't mean _me_?" he asked.

"Who else would I ask?" Ernie laughed.

"I don't know," Justin replied. He scratched the back of his neck — Ernie knew that was a sign that he was thinking hard. "What about...erm, there isn't anyone else you'd want to ask?"

"Justin," Ernie said seriously, "you're my best mate and the closest thing I have to a brother — you have been practically since we met at the Sorting Feast. I wouldn't dream of asking anyone else."

Justin's brown eyes looked strangely bright, and Ernie realized they were filled with tears. "I'm honored, Ernie," he said hoarsely. "Of course I'll do it."

Ernie stood and held out his hand. Justin got to his feet as well, but instead of shaking Ernie's hand, he pulled him into a tight hug. Ernie felt his own eyes begin to water, and he had to clear his throat before saying, "Thanks, Justin."

His friend clapped him on the back. "I'm going to go find our waiter and see if he can bring us some champagne. This calls for a toast!"


End file.
